Bidens pilosa
Common names
cobbler’s pegs
Biostatus
Exotic
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledonous composites
Flower colours
Yellow
Similar taxa
This annual plant grows up to around 1.5 - 2 m tall. There are 3 -5 leaflets, which are tapered ovals with serrated margins. They are bright green, slightly hairy and on brown stems with parallel ridges. The numerous terminal flowers are yellow in a tightly packed head (approximately 7 mm across). (Ermert and Clapp 1998)
Conservation status
Not applicable
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Asteraceae
Ecology
Year naturalised
1832
Origin
unknown
Reason for introduction
Accidental
Life cycle and dispersal
The ‘Cobbler’s pegs’ are the seeds, which are dark brown or black, slender and have barbed ends, which allows them to catch in material or fur. The pegs are in a ball or starburst formation on the plant with the barbs on the outer edge. (Ermert and Clapp 1998)
Other information
Etymology
bidens: From the Latin bi- ‘two’ and dens ‘teeth;, the seed having two tooth-like projections
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
BIDPIL